A variety of exercise machines are now available for providing cardiovascular and muscular development to athletes and other persons. These machines are particularly useful for skiers and other athletes preparing to participate in seasonal sports. Conventional exercise machines include weight lifting exercise units as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,097, rowing machines as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,586,322 and 4,004,801, and cross country ski exercisers such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,023,795, 4,434,981, and 4,659,077.
Conventional exercise machines, however, do not specifically simulate the current poling techniques used in cross country skiing. For example, conventional ski exercisers are not designed to simulate a cross country skiing technique in which skiers move both their arms in unison to propel themselves forward with both poles simultaneously. On the other hand, conventional exercise machines that do allow a user, in a seated or prone position, to pull with both arms simultaneously have not been designed for use by standing users, and hence do not simulate skiing activity.
Further, conventional ski exercisers such as those described above simulate only a particular type of exercise activity (i.e., a skiing motion) and are not designed to accept interchangeable components that may be used to simulate other forms of athletic activity, such as swimming.